4 Myths About Back Pain, And Is Chocolate Really Good For You?

Health-E-News March 2017empowering you to optimal health

Top 4 Myths You Should Know About Back Pain

Back pain can strike at any time and most people have some misconceptions about the commonality of it and the cause of it. For some, the belief is that it’s just a normal part of aging, while others think that being physically active will prevent it.

There are a few common myths about back pain that can make people think a situation is worse than or not as serious as it truly is. Take a look at these four myths that have been busted in order to set the record straight for those that are misunderstanding their back pain.

Back pain means you’re going to need surgery

One common myth about back pain is that it automatically means that surgery is in your future. In reality, almost everyone ends up with back pain at one time or another. You won’t necessarily need surgery and if you do, it doesn’t always mean it’s going to be needed any time soon.

There are so many natural ways you can address the pain that may make the need for surgery obsolete. Chiropractic adjustments are one of the best treatments for back pain and can make a huge difference in correcting any problems causing pain.

Being active will prevent any potential of back pain

Another myth about back pain is that being physically active prevents any potential for back pain. While being physically active is a wise decision for keeping your body in peak condition, it doesn’t mean back pain won’t come find you too.

The best thing you can do to prevent the possibility of it is to continue to stay active, eat a highly nutritious diet, maintain great posture, and reduce stress in your environment. That is your best prevention for back pain, but it could still happen to you. Fortunately there are natural ways to heal your back pain, such as chiropractic adjustments, that will make it easier to treat a condition and will work wonderfully for someone who has been taking care of their health on a daily basis.

Back pain comes with aging anyways

Many people think that when you age, it’s inevitable you are going to get back pain. This is actually a big myth because back pain is not just a normal part of aging at all. While it’s common to end up with back pain as you age, this is because aging adults are more susceptible to illness and disease in general.

You can work on preventative care as you get older to keep your spine and back healthy, through proper exercise, nutrition, posture, removing stress, and getting adjustments.

Injuries aren’t as bad if the pain is low

Lastly, for those who get some minor back pain, they may assume that the injury isn’t so bad. Pain is actually an inaccurate indicator for the severity of back pain. Pain often takes days, or even weeks and months to really show itself. A mild back ache after an injury should not be taken as gospel of how serious the injury it is. Get it checked out and give it time to find out how serious the pain is going to get and how serious the injury actually was.

Any back pain should be checked out by your physician. If you haven’t experienced any, do the preventative maintenance to decrease your chances of getting it in the future.

How can You Improve a Bad Mood Naturally?

When we’re in the middle of the long winter season, bad moods may spring up more often than ever. If you find yourself in a bad mood, especially during the work day or while you’re trying to enjoy your family time at night, how do you cheer up in order to be your best self instead?

Sometimes you just have your bad days, but no matter what caused your bad mood, there are natural ways to cure the problem. You don’t need to call in sick or avoid your family dinner tonight; instead, you can use a few tricks to turn your day around. Each of these ideas only takes a few minutes and it can mean the difference between a day of complaining to a day that turned out to be really positive. Here are the tricks to improve your mood naturally.

Take a walk before you go to the office

If you’re dreading your work day, start the morning off differently by taking a short walk before leaving for work. Sometimes when you’re used to rushing around in the morning, getting the ice off the windshield, and trying to get through traffic, you find that there are days when you just can’t find the motivation to do it all. Today, take a short walk to get your blood pumping, get some vitamin D from the sun, and to enjoy the mood-enhancing endorphins that come with moving your body.

Clean your workspace

Another trick that will improve your work day is doing a little tidying at your work station. If you have a desk or office, make today the day you clean things, purge, file, and sort your belongings. Get in there and start dusting your workspace, making it sparkle, shine, and smell great in there.

Put things away and take care of projects that are burdening your mind. People always feel better with a clean desk and seeing projects get off their desk and done for good. You may find your focus and productivity improve big time for the rest of the day, making today a great day again.

Music and laughter

Sometimes putting on some tunes or having a laugh with a friend is just what you need. Put some music on at your desk that offers a happy beat where you can relax and enjoy yourself a little more today. During your break, call a friend for a quick laugh or catch up with a coworker on anything funny going on in their lives. You could even search for a short comedy routine video online for a quick pick-me-up.

Take care of your body

Lastly, your body may be telling you you’re not taking care of it well enough this time of year. It’s time to make sure you are getting 8 hours of sleep and visiting your chiropractor for regular adjustments. That poor sleep, back pain, and achy joints from the daily grind and shoveling the snow needs to be corrected. Start scheduling regular adjustments and getting to bed at a reasonable hour and you may find your whole world turns around because of it.

Don’t let your bad mood ruin your day, your week, or the whole winter season. Use these tips to perk up and feel like a new person naturally!

Have you ever thought about the way food affects your body? Food can have a major effect on you, especially when it comes to the nervous system. While you may be guilty of choosing fast food for lunch or unhealthy snacks late at night, it’s important to cut that out of your life as much as possible.

That’s because making the decision to choose healthy foods like nuts and bananas instead of soda and candy can offer you major benefits that you’ll notice when it comes to brain function. Take a closer look at how you can keep your mind sharper through your diet, by eating these foods that benefit your nervous system.

How Food Can Benefit Your Nervous System

Nuts

You’ve probably enjoyed snacking on nuts on occasion and love when they are found in your favorite candy bar. It turns out that nuts like almonds and cashews are wonderful for your nervous system. These nuts are rich in magnesium and you’ll also found selenium found in the brazil nut. The brazil nut is one of the best sources for this, and it benefits you in that it will relax your nervous system. Nuts are the perfect midday snack!

Your morning fruit

Who doesn’t love some fruit in the morning with breakfast? Start choosing bananas and you’ll benefit in a major way from the potassium found in it. Athletes are known for choosing bananas before a big game because they help to keep you and your brain hydrated through its electrolytes. Think like an athlete and choose a banana before going for a run or heading to the big board meeting.

Add spinach to that salad

You love a lunchtime salad but ordering one with spinach in it will have wonderful benefits. Spinach is really high in folate, as well as Vitamin B and B6. These nutrients will help you prevent getting dementia because dark leafy greens like this are known for breaking down homocysteines. Start choosing spinach throughout the week and keep your brain healthy.

The best juice for your mind

You love orange juice and apple juice with your morning eggs, but swapping your juice for pomegranate will be a great way to keep your mind healthy. Pomegranate juice is known for fighting free radicals which keeps your mind active.

Cook with garlic

Garlic makes dinner taste so good and it turns out that adding garlic to your food can prevent the mind’s aging process. Your brain will stay sharper longer when you choose garlic because of the antioxidant properties.

Dark chocolate for the win

When you choose healthy foods to benefit your nervous system, you may be surprised to hear that your favorite treat makes the list. Dark chocolate or cacao is a great nutrient for calming the mind. It has L-tryptophan in it which is the neurotransmitter that calms the mind. Have some dark chocolate for dessert and don’t feel guilty about it!

These are a few of the foods that are easy to incorporate into your weekly diet that will have major benefits to your nervous system!